Bidspirit auction | Dozens of Unpublished Pages! –

Dozens of Unpublished Pages! – Volume of Torah Novellae in the Handwriting of the Gaon Rabbi Michael Bacharach, Ravad of Prague – 1780s - A manuscript comprising over 90 written pages, containing novellae on Tractates Berachot, Gittin and Shevuot, as well as various halachic subjects, entirely in the handwriting of the Gaon Rabbi Michael Bacharach, a dayan on the Beit Din of the Noda BiYehudah and later Ravad of Prague. The manuscript displays Rabbi Michael’s characteristic handwriting, known from numerous other sources, with many corrections, deletions and marginal additions. A preliminary examination indicates that a small portion of the present manuscript was published in various works; however, it appears that the majority has never been published! The manuscript contains several dates from the 1780s (p. 1a: 1781; p. 7a: 1780; p. 40a: 1788). The contents of the manuscript have not been thoroughly examined by us. The Gaon Rabbi Michael Bacharach was born in 1730 to Rabbi Shmuel Zanvil, a descendant of the Chavot Yair. He left behind numerous manuscripts, many of which still await publication. Already in his youth he rendered halachic rulings in Prague, and in time was appointed a member of the city’s Great Beit Din together with the Noda BiYehudah and Rabbi Yaakov Ginzburg. Numerous rulings and approbations bear the signatures of these three distinguished rabbis as the Great Beit Din of Prague. Following the passing of the Noda BiYehudah in 1793, the Gaon Rabbi Zalman Emrich served as Ravad, though Rabbi Michael frequently substituted for him. After Rabbi Zalman’s passing in 1794, Rabbi Michael was appointed Ravad of Prague, a prestigious position he held until his passing in 1801. He was held in exceptionally high esteem by the Noda BiYehudah, who referred to him with the wordplay “MiYemini Michael” – “Michael is at my right hand” (HaMaayan, Vol. 55, No. 3, Nisan 5775, p. 4). A passage of Rabbi Michael’s Torah teachings was printed at the beginning of the Tzelach on Tractate Beitzah. Portions of the Present Manuscript That Have Been Published Nearly all of the opening leaves were published in their entirety, together with several passages from later portions of the manuscript. Leaves 2–3 of the present manuscript were published in Beit Aryeh Leib, Jerusalem, 1994, pp. 12–15. Leaves 4–7 were published in Zikaron Shlomo – Sefer HaZikaron, pp. 146–155. Several additional passages were published in various works edited by Rabbi Hillel Mann. Beyond these passages, we have not located any additional material from the present manuscript in print. The manuscript merits further comprehensive scholarly examination. Approx. [60] leaves, of which [92] pages are written. Average height: 23 cm; varying sizes. Condition: Overall good. Several leaves in fair condition, with tears and repairs. New binding.